1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitor system having a display panel received in substantially a horizontal posture in a storage case, the display panel being projected out of an open front end of the storage case and being rotated upward to a raised posture when being used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-64484 discloses a monitor system disposed in a console of a vehicle. This known monitor system has a display panel (display unit) received in substantially a horizontal posture in a storage case (fixed case). When the display panel is moved out of the storage case, the forward movement is transformed into the upward rotation of the display panel about the lower end thereof, so that the display panel is raised. On the other hand, when the display panel is moved into the storage case, the backward movement is transformed into the downward rotation of the display panel about the lower end thereof, so that the display panel is lowered to substantially the horizontal posture and is then received in the storage case.
The upward rotating and downward rotating mechanisms of the display panel in the known monitor system will be described below.
A movable bracket (support member) for rotatably supporting the lower end of the display panel is movably arranged in the fixed case (storage case). Points at which both sides of the lower end of the display panel are supported by the movable bracket will be referred to as first supporting points. The first supporting points are slidably engaged with raising guide portions formed in the fixed case along the length thereof, thus guiding the display panel. In addition, link members (arm members) are provided such that a second supporting point at one end of each link member is rotatably connected to the display panel in a predetermined portion on the side surface of the display panel and a third supporting point at the other end of each link member is slidably engaged with the corresponding restricting guide portion formed in the fixed case along the length thereof.
When the movable bracket supporting the display panel in substantially the horizontal posture is moved forward to move the display panel forward, the third supporting points of the respective link members are guided through the restricting guide portions and are then locked at the ends of the portions. Thus, the forward movement of each link member is stopped. In this state, when the movable bracket is further moved forward, the first supporting points for supporting the display panel are moved through the raising guide portions, so that each restricted link member pivots upward about the third supporting point by the moving force of the first supporting point. The upward pivoting of the link members about the third supporting points upwardly moves the second supporting points, at which the link members are connected to the display panel. Consequently, the lower end of the display panel is moved forward in response to the forward movement of the first supporting points, thus raising the display panel. When the first supporting points, i.e., the lower end of the display panel is further moved forward beyond a position below the second supporting points, the display panel is rotated about the second supporting points. Thus, the display panel is brought into a raised posture such that the display panel can be used.
In the state where the display panel is held in the raised posture, when the movable bracket is moved backward to backwardly move the first supporting points at which the movable bracket supports the display panel, the display panel is rotated downward about the second supporting points in the direction opposite to that in the above-mentioned operation. In addition, each link member also pivots downward about the third supporting point. Consequently, the display panel is brought into substantially the horizontal posture. When the movable bracket is further moved backward, the third supporting points and the restricting guide portions are released from their locked state. Thus, the display panel held in substantially the horizontal posture is received in the fixed case in response to the backward movement of the bracket.
In the above-mentioned monitor system, the display panel can be moved forward, raised, lowered, and moved backward by moving the movable bracket forward and backward (i.e., by a single driving source).
In the above-mentioned monitor system, the link members are pivoted upward about the respective third supporting points at one end thereof to raise the display panel that is rotatably supported at the second supporting points at the other end of the respective link members. Disadvantageously, when the distance between each third supporting point and the corresponding first supporting point, where a force is exerted in the horizontal direction, at the lower end of the display panel is reduced in the thickness direction of the display panel, a large force is required to raise the display panel. In other words, it is necessary to increase a driving force to be generated from the driving source for moving the movable bracket forward or backward.
On the other hand, to reduce the driving force to be generated from the driving source, the distance between each third supporting point, serving as a pivot of each link member, and the corresponding first supporting point at the lower end of the display panel has to be long in the thickness direction of the display panel. Disadvantageously, the thickness of the system is increased because the distance between the pivot of each link member and the lower end of the display panel has to be long.